What Is Soundboy???

[BananaBomber]

?

[seckle]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.p ... =soundbwoy

[G31]

the guy on the reggae soundsystem that did the levels while the selecta selected the records and the deejay did the MCing over the top?
surely?

[seckle]

listen to any rodigan or stonelove sets. its used mainly at sound clashs, to try and belittle the next man's tunes. soundbwoy can mean dj or mc, it just depends on the lyrics.

[alphacat]

That's not quite right, Seckle. A Soundboy is not an MC or DJ.

OK, so here we go on a little excursion into Jamaican Audio History...

Much of what we today call "DJ Culture" is derived in large part from Jamaican Soundsystem (or just 'Sound' for short) culture.

Basically, because a lot of reggae (and later on, dancehall) was kind of "underground" music it was difficult or impossible to find many club venues that would play it... and also because Jamaica is/was essentially a 3rd world nation, there weren't a lot of clubs with fancy sound systems to start with.

So people would build their own sound systems from the ground up, then use a truck or bus to drive it to The Dance (i.e. an unofficial party often held outdoors). In time, multiple 'Sounds' (or multiple crews) would show up to the same Dance, and this led to the evolution of the Soundclash - an open battle between the Sounds.

In Jamaican musical culture, there was less emphasis on people producing individual tracks unique only to them: instead, producers recorded "riddims" (basic backing tracks w/ beat & melody) and then vocalists would then each do their own take on that track. Certain riddims became more popular than others, much as certain tunes now become more dominant than others until they start influencing tunes recorded after it.

So at this Soundclash, the crew running things in a Sound are basically a 3 man deal; there's the DJ (who is actually what we'd call an MC - the vocalist,) there's the Selector (the guy actually playing the records,) and then there's the Soundboy, who's kind of a runner that pulls the records as requested by the first two. There are actually more roles in a Sound than just these 3, but nobody talks shit about them like they do about these guys.

The deal is that the Sound that plays more of/more popular artists' versions of the big riddims at the time - and before the other Sound does - is the Sound that wins the clash. Once a popular riddim has been used by a Sound first at a clash the other Sound can't play it any longer, even if they cut a dubplate exclusively for that clash. The Soundboy's job is essentially to get those hot tunes up to the Selector first, before the other Sound can play it.

http://reggaelicious.pbworks.com/Sound+System

[seckle]

it can be a dj or mc. there's rodigan dub's on soundclash's that are aimed at mc's, not just soundmen, soundsystems, etc.

[human?]

afaik, soundboy is exactly what it says.

sound, soundsystem. boy, yout.


an apprentice of sorts. so if you wanna insult somebodies skills...

[alphacat]

an apprentice of sorts. so if you wanna insult somebodies skills...

Exactly. Soundboy is usually lowest rung on the ladder in the hierarchy. He'll run errands, do small technical things like help w/ soundcheck, and also go spy (or have others do so) on the other Sound's record selections to keep up with things. And if you're any good at it, they'll call you Soundman and not Soundbwoy...

Again though: SOUNDBOY IS NOT MC OR DJ.

[MUT3]

The real question is...

What is the meaning of life?

[alphacat]

The real question is...

What is the meaning of life?

42.

[djspark]

Its definately not a Soundman

[incnic]

yeah sandman was in the spiderman movie
i agree.

[Sharmaji]

quite simply, if you have to ask-- you're a soundboy

[RealityHz]

an apprentice of sorts. so if you wanna insult somebodies skills...

Exactly. Soundboy is usually lowest rung on the ladder in the hierarchy. He'll run errands, do small technical things like help w/ soundcheck, and also go spy (or have others do so) on the other Sound's record selections to keep up with things. And if you're any good at it, they'll call you Soundman and not Soundbwoy...

Again though: SOUNDBOY IS NOT MC OR DJ.

But if you were battling or soundclashing with someone and you called them a soundboy, they'd be an MC or a DJ that you were belittling... you'd be calling him your errand boy, so to speak.

If we were battling and I called you a janitor, you'd still be an MC... I'd just be saying you weren't shit and that you should be cleaning my toilets.

[alphacat]

But if you were battling or soundclashing with someone and you called them a soundboy, they'd be an MC or a DJ that you were belittling... you'd be calling him your errand boy, so to speak.

If we were battling and I called you a janitor, you'd still be an MC... I'd just be saying you weren't shit and that you should be cleaning my toilets.

Right. But then, patois has many other insults that cut waaay deeper than just calling someone a lackey. Heh. I'm surprised by how many people don't know what rasclot/bumbaclot really mean. Now that's some dirty shit!

[RealityHz]

For decedents of slaves, calling somebody BOY is about as deep as it gets I would think. I'm not up on my Patois though by any means. Just an observation.

[Shae]

Alphacat educating us on his Jamaican roots... good read

[promo]

Soundboy is someone who is young but grounded.

[frank grimes jr.]

Now that's some dirty shit!

filthy

[twentyOneDummies]

For decedents of slaves, calling somebody BOY is about as deep as it gets I would think. I'm not up on my Patois though by any means. Just an observation.

That doesn't account for Rudebwoy